INPRO volunteers at the First Aid championship

Volunteering is a rewarding experience that allows you to meet like-minded people, contribute to positive change, and become a more active member of your community. One such opportunity is volunteering with the European Solidarity Corps, which offers a chance to connect with youth all over the world and embark on unforgettable adventures. For me, Mariami, a volunteer at INPRO, a particularly memorable experience was participating in the First Aid Championship in Rzeszów as part of the acting crew.

Miss Karolina, one of the enthusiastic English teachers from Zespół Szkół nr 2 im. Tadeusza Rejtana in Rzeszów (Tadeusz Rejtan School Complex No. 2), who often hosts INPRO volunteers for school visits, is also an active judge at the First Aid Championship. This year, she had the brilliant idea to create a scenario where teams not only assessed the situation and helped the victim but also had to communicate solely in English. The championship, which takes place annually across Poland starting in late April, sees regional winners compete for the national title.

We, the INPRO volunteers, as part of the acting crew, played victims and witnesses, gaining a unique insider’s perspective. I was excited to be chosen to play a victim, alongside Kiko. Early in the morning, Kiko and I arrived at the outdoor set in the park and received makeup to make our injuries look realistic. In our case, we portrayed victims with burns – Kiko on the face, and me on the palms and fingers. A competition judge expertly applied special makeup to achieve the desired effect. The other volunteers played witnesses to the incident.

Thanks to Miss Karolina’s thoughtful preparation, our set was well-equipped, even including a grill, warm drinks, and cookies, to create a realistic atmosphere of an outdoor gathering. The excitement began when we performed for the first team. Kiko and I started by screaming for help and pretending to cry. Sometimes, to heighten the drama, we even faked fainting. The witnesses were instructed to act as obstacles, but all the teams managed to calm them down, isolate them from us (the patients), and offer some comfort.

We performed the scenario eight times in total. However, the experience wasn’t tiring thanks to the energetic breaks filled with conversation and laughter with the judges on our set. After the timer went off, the judges provided the teams with direct feedback on their performance, highlighting both their strengths and areas for improvement. As English speakers, we were particularly delighted when participants made an effort to communicate in English, and most of them did very well.

Kiko and I delivered a fabulously believable performance, and both we and the audience had a blast. By the end of the day, we had a collection of fun pictures and videos, along with some red makeup residue on our faces and hands. We received symbolic gifts as a token of appreciation, which further boosted our spirits. After saying our goodbyes, the six of us volunteers shared stories and laughter on the way home, already eager for our next shared adventure.